Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-29
GARRETT'S SIDE
OF the B. & o. DeaI-Story of Cowen's "Sen
Out to Jay Gould

OF the B. & o. DeaI-story of Cowen's .'sen
Out" to Jay Gould
PITTsBURG, October 28.-A Baltimore
special to the Dispatch says; Mr.. Charley
J. Peshall, a prominent New Jersey attor-
ney, is an intimate friend of Mr.. Robert
Garrett and was the guest of the latter four
days last week at his country seat, ''Up-
lands" Mr.. Peshall, who has his head
quarters at the Hoffman House, New York,
whose proprietors, Cassius H. Reed and
Edward Stokes, are his partners, gave the
following history Of the sale Of the Balti-
more and Ohio telegraph:
can tell you Mr.. Garrett feels keenly
the mean way he was duped in that Balti-
more and Ohio Telegraph sale by the men
in whom he placed implict confidence
His intention was to place the telegraph on
an individual basis. This done he could
operate it as an Independent organization
and could have prevented it going into the
capaCious craw of Jay Gould. The Cowen-
Ives deal having fallen through, because
Mr.. Garrett declared it at an end when
he ascertained Ives was trying to sell
the telegraph to the Western Union.
Gould opened negotiations on his own
account and, that he might have ali
the leisure he wanted 10 discuss a
proposition he had to offer, invited Mr..
Garrett TO sail on his yacht. The invita-
ton was accepted. To the amazement of
Mr.. Garrett, when he went aboard the YES
sci he found John K. Cowen and T. NJ.
King, the latter Second Vice President of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, both of
whom had been asked by Gould TO make
up the party. After anchor had been
weighed Gould commenced his conversa-
tion without further delays. His first re-
quest was that Mr.. Garrett would sell him
one-half the stock of the Baltimore aud
Ohio Telegraph Company, and together
they would dispose of the lire to the West
ern Union, afterward dividing the proceeds
equally. Following this proposition Gould
made the one that Garrett join him in
helping to carry Maryland for the Repub-
lican party this fall, and argued that if
Virginia would follow Maryland to the
Republicans, ard they Gould and Gar
rettl would be able to dictate the next
Presidency. This would give them every
thing they wanted in Washington in 1899,
according to the statement of Gould.
Mr.. Garrett received the proposition
with unfeigned surprise and promptly re.
ieCted it with all its tempting trimmings
Mr.. Garrett was still on the ocean on his
trip across when Messrs. Burns and Cowen
commenced their negotiations for the sale
OF the Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph to Jay
Gould. Watchful friends discovered the
attempt and informed Mr. Garrett just
after he completed the advantageous ar
rangement mentioned, which, if it had
been ratified by the Baltimore and Ohio
committee having charge of the tele-
graph, would have made that line the
leader in this land. As soon rs Mr. Gar
rett learned of the move toward Gould he
cabled Messrs Burns and Cowen not to do
anything with the telegraph until his ar
rival home, and set sail at once for New
York When lie was so close to that city he
could almost hear the waves break on the
shore the telegraph had gone from his con-
troll and he had been slaughtered by his
assistants. The primary information of
the deal reached him OH the vessel, where
newspaper clippings reciting the features
OF the transaction, as far as it had pro-
progressed, were handed him by a
friend, who chartered tug TO meet
him down the bay. Any man pos.
scssed of spark of humanity could
not help feeling indignant at such treat
ment There was only one course clear
after that for Mr.. Garrett, namely, TO re-
sign the presidency of the Baltimore and
Ohio, which he did rather than continue
business with men in whom he had been
deceived, or deal, as ne would be required
to do as the chief executive of his COM
pany, with Jay Gould. Equal TO his de-
termination to resign was his dislike of
the methods used in the deal by those
who had the power TO act officially. DR..
NOrvin Green, of the Western Union, when
told Mr.. Garrett might object to the sale
since his consent had not been obtained,
said: "Mr. Garrett cannot object, for his
counsel, Mr.. John X. CoweD, prepared the
first paper and consented to the purchRse." "
In answer to the question, "Will Mr.
Garrett retire from business life?" Mr..
Peshall replied:
No, sir; he believes telegraph system
can he built all over this country for
$4,000, 1000. | do not know anything
about it, but you look out and see if Mr.
Garrett does not make an arrangement
with the Postal Telegraph
"Has Mr. Garrett any interest in the
present political fight in Maryland" ?"
'He is staunCh Democrat, and deeply
appoSed to the State being turned over,
through the Vaccinations of unlsithful
persons, TO the mercy of Jay Gould"
Has Gould his eye on the Baltimore and
Ohio RailrOad?"
"Assuredly. He has his tracks all over
the West, but has no Eastern outlet. The
B. {; o. would suit him exactly, and Mr..
Cowen, its general counsel, might hold it
advantageous to the stockholders to sell 1t
to him.
''Do you really believe Mr.. Cowen would
sell the road to Gould?"
"If he succeeds in his political schemes
in Maryland and carries the State for the
Republicans, he would. The success of
his present political purposes might even
enable him to dictate the terms of the sale
To prevent this Mr.. Garrett ought to be
reelected President of the B. & o. l am
his friend through thick and thin and be
is my friend. l know him to be bright
railroad official and as honest a man as
honest man as ever lived. Stockholders
of the B. & o. who have been receiving
their dividends regularly know there things
too"
DANGEROUS IMMIGRANTS.